Reader:

How we respond in crises...becomes our legacy!

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Morning Minute 3.3.26

When the Smoke Cleared…

War is never clean.

It is grim, loud, and suffocating; full of tragedy and human suffering.

The War of 1812 began over trade restrictions, territorial ambition, and the British practice of seizing American sailors, forcing them to serve on British ships.

For the young United States, it was a fight for sovereignty.

For Great Britain, it was leverage during their war against Napoleon.

In August of 1814, British forces marched into Washington, D.C., burning the Capitol and the White House. This humiliation was visible as smoke rose over the capital.

Then, British forces moved toward Baltimore. If Baltimore fell, American resistance along the eastern seaboard could collapse.

Guarding the harbor stood Fort McHenry.

The land around it was marshy with sandy wetlands that made a ground assault both difficult and deadly. Instead, the British chose a massive naval bombardment. They positioned their ships beyond the range of American guns and commenced firing.

Before the attack began, a young American lawyer boarded a British ship under a flag of truce to negotiate the release of American prisoners. Their condition was heartbreaking. They were confined in the damp, dark hold of a warship, below deck with little ventilation, and with sickness spreading. The smell of dying men, and disease lingered constantly. War had reduced these once strong men to exhausted & weak captives.

The lawyer successfully secured their release.

However, because he had overheard British attack plans, they would not allow him to leave. Thus, he watched as the bombardment began.

Hundreds of rockets streaked across the sky.

Mortar shells arced high before plunging into the fort.

Nearly 1,800 rounds were fired over 25 relentless hours.

Inside Fort McHenry were roughly 1,000 defenders: soldiers, militiamen, and volunteers.

Even though they knew they were outgunned, they understood that failure was not an option.

heard the shriek of incoming rockets; the concussion of exploding shells; and the walls shuddering under repeated impacts.

Casualties mounted. Yet, they held their positions.

Between barrages, they manned cannons to defend against a ground assault. They endured, knowing surrender would open the harbor to invasion.

Throughout the night filled with smoke and fire, one symbol remained visible - the American flag flying above the ramparts.

At times it disappeared behind smoke and debris. Each time the smoke cleared, it was still there: tattered and torn, but still flying.

The defenders were fighting for what that flag represented; sovereignty, self-governance, & the fragile idea of a free nation. At dawn, when the fog lifted the flag still flew. The fort had held.

The young lawyer who witnessed this event from the deck of a British warship began writing words on the back of a letter. His name was Francis Scott Key. And the poem he penned became “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Under extreme pressure...symbolism matters.

Under extreme pressure...leadership matters.

Under extreme pressure...endurance becomes an identity.

The defenders of Fort McHenry, against all odds, simply and courageously, held their ground.

Today, families across our nation know that war is still grim, costly, and full of sacrifice.

Leadership under extreme difficulty does not remove hardship. It gives people something worth enduring that hardship for.

Same pressure - Different posture - Different results!

How we respond under great difficulty, or extreme danger, still defines who we are.

That is today’s Morning Minute.

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Even better, you may use this message and/or video as a discussion starter for any manager, senior leader, or organizational meeting.

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Here are some recent Morning Minutes you may have missed with actionable ideas, useful instruction, and step-by-step methods to help you, your family, and/or your team to be more, do more, and achieve more.

​"The Return of Responsibility!" Are we witnessing a shift in the next generation? Discover how that they are slowly moving away from entitlement and self promotion to lives of service, responsibility, and discipline. Learn how that we, as adults, may effectively support their effort to improve by listening, setting a positive example, plus praying for and with them.

​"Under Extreme Pressure...How Will You Respond?" Same Pressure - Different Posture - Different Results! Discover 2 different true stories of catastrophes: one with British Petroleum and the other with Johnson & Johnson. Learn how the manner in which these 2 leaders handled these 2 major losses created either failure or lasting success for their companies.

​"Holding People Accountable - the Right Way!" Why asking better questions provides better answers, while building better leaders. Discover how this method helps all involved to better understand the real problem, while discovering all the causes for the problem, and what possible solutions are available. Learn how this process creates accountability by requiring the person who identified the problem to recommend what they see as the best solution!

​"Self-Esteem vs Self-Control!" Why feeling good and being good must work together for young adults to be more, do more, and achieve more. Discover how that self-esteem and self-control are different. Learn how they are both required and must work together for an individual to reach their his/her full potential.

​"Transforming Team Performance Thru Servant Leadership!" The best way to build a high performance team is through Servant Leadership. Discover how the best, most effective leaders employ honesty, integrity, discipline, and work ethic to change their own behaviors. High performance teams team mirror those qualities in their leaders.

​"When Do You Handle Insubordination?" You can handle the problem of employee insubordination immediately when it happens. Or, you can avoid it by addressing it during the hiring process, during onboarding the new team member, or by noticing how it begins, before the actual direct defiance becomes a poison to your culture, to your authority, or to your teamwork. This video explains your options.

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Please pray for our military service members as they strive to eliminate the threats from Iran and its proxies. Also, remember the military families who are under extreme stress during active deployments of their loved ones. Let's keep the Lord working through us and for us to secure their success.

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Here is a impactful prayer to request guidance, support, and protection during troubling times.

Lord, please grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I must,

and the wisdom to know the difference!

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May God bless you, your families, your team, and the USA.

Larry A. Bonorato lab@larryonlearning.com 864-630-2625​

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(published by the Bonorato Creative Group. LLC; all rights reserved)